Can opener



Oct. 1941- H. A. BERKMAN ET AL 2,258,583

CAN OPENER Filed April 20, 1940 Patented Oct. 14, 1941 CAN OPENER- Herbert A. Berkman and William S. West, Chicago, 11L, assignors to Zim Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Illinois Application April 20, 1940, Serial No. 330,678

7 Claims.

The present invention has for its object to produce a simple, novel and efficient can opener adapted to be mounted at one endon: a stationary support and capable of successfully cutting out the ends of both small and large cans.

The variousfeatures of novelty whereby our invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of our invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,

wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a can opener constructed in accordance with the present invention, portions being broken away; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the opposite side of the device; Fig. 3 is asection on line 33 of Fig. 1, showing the base plate engaged with and locked to a wall bracket; Fig. 4 is a side view of thebase end of the body portion of the can opener, with the washer appearing in Fig. l omitted'and the hinge pin shown in section; Fig. 5 is a View of the opposite side of the parts shown in Fig. 4, with the base member that appears in Fig. 2 omitted and the hinge pin shown in section; Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 1,

showing only the upper portion of what may be termed the fixed arm of the device and the rotary cutting element; and Fig. 7 is an end view of l the. can-engaging boss adjacent to the feed wheel.

Referring tothe drawing, l represents a vertical metal plate narrowing somewhat from the upper to the lower end so as to permit it to be inserted between guides 2 on the front side of a suitable wall bracket 3; the guides being constructed so as to prevent the base plate from being moved forwardly. The plate I is made longer than at least one of the guides so that normally it projects down below the lowerend of the latter. On the base plate, adjacent to the latter guide, is a little dog 4 fastened to the base plate by a pin 5 upon which it may swing, and having a cam-shaped upper edge which drops partially underneath the adjacent guide 2 when the base plate is inserted in the bracket, and prevents the lifting of the base plate until the dog is swung back out of the way. The portion of the camshaped edge that first passes beneath the guide is at the low point of the cam so that, as Wear occurs, the dog automatically takes up the slack which would otherwise exist.

Fixed to and projecting forwardly from the base plate is a short web 1 to which the body portion of the can opener is connected. In the arrangement shown, there is a long arm 8 in the form of a narrow, flat plate having one end lying fiat against the web I and secured thereto by a hinge pin 9, whereby the arm may be swung from a horizontal working position, as shown, to a more or less upright, idle position in which it extends upwardly from the base member. The rear end edge of the arm,8 is curved; as indicated at it, and contains atthe lower end a notch and toward the upper end a more or less radial shoulder l2. Lying fiat against the web I of the base member, in rear of the arm 8, is a catch l4 fastened at its upper end to the web by a hinge pin 15 and having at the front edge, near the bottom, a lug orprojection It. The lug or projection is so placed that when the arm 8 is swung down into a horizontal position, it drops into the notch H in the arm and locks the latter in place; whereas, when the arm is swung up, after the latch has been pushed back to free it from the notch, and has again been released, the shoulder i2 on the arm strikes against the projection and prevents further upward or backward swingingmovements. The latch is constantly urged toward the rear end of the arm 8 by a spring I! behind the same. Furthermore, the latch is provided with a downwardly-projecting finger piece It} by means of which it may easily be tripped. V

Lying against one-side of the fiat arm 8 is a movable arm I9 in the form of a plate somewhat shorter and narrower than the arm 8. The hinge pin 9 passes through the rear end of the movable arm l9. The movable arm may be swung about the hinge pin by means of a suit able crank device mounted on the arm 8. This crank device is shown as consisting of a little disk 20 of about the same thickness as the metal of the arm 8 fitting rotatably in a hole 2| in the plate 8. Arranged eccentrically of this disk is a crank pin 22 that extends through and rotatably fits in a hole in the plate or arm l9. Therefore, when the disk 20 is turned, it causes the free end of the arm l9 to swing up or down, depending upon the direction in which the disk is turned. The disk 20 may be turned bya suitable handle 24. The disk 20 is simply a part of a thicker disk, the remaining part 25 of which is of larger diameter than the disk 20 and thus serves as a flange on the latter engaging with the side of the plate 8 opposite that on which the plate or arm l9 lies. This enlarged part 25 has at the periphery a lug 26 projecting outwardly therefrom in the plane thereof; this lug being adapted to strike against a pin 21 fixed in and projecting from the plate 8 adjacent to the part 25 at a point which limits the upward swinging movement of the plate I9 through the striking of the lug 26 against the pin. The pin 22 need not be a part of the compound disk, but may be a separate pin or rivet that extends through the handle 24, the disk block andthe plate or arm I9. Near the free end of the arm [9 is any usual or suitable peripherally-toothed feed wheel 28 and just beyond the latter is a boss 29 fixed to the member I9; this boss being approximately in the form of a half frustum of a cone whose axis extends lengthwise of the member I9 and whose smaller base or end is directed toward and lies only ashort distance from the feed wheel.

At the upper edge of the arm or plate 8, in

the vicinity of the free end, are twoears 30 and 3| projecting laterally over the top of the arm I9 together with an intermediate ear 32 projecting upwardly and laterally. The ear 32 lies 'above the feed wheel and isprovided with a rotary cutter in the form of a cutting disk proper 34' having on the rear side a hub portion 35; there being a deep annular V-shaped groove 36 formed at the juncture of the'cutting disk and its'hub. This'cutter unit is rotatably secured to the ear 32 by a suitable pin or rivet 31. The parts are so proportioned that viewing an axial vertical section of the cutter element in position on its supporting ear, the line marking one boundary. of the V groove on the under side of the cutting unit is almost horizontal while the line representing the other side of this groove is almost vertical. In this way there is provided between the lower portion of the cutting disk proper and the part of the plate 8 just below the ear 32 a notch or space into which the ridge around 'the top of a can may enter while the cutter lies on the inner circumference of this ridge or upwardly projecting rim.

In the drawing the tool is shown in its normal, open position, with the feed wheel swung down a considerabledistance below the cutting disk. Whena can is to be opened, it is set against the boss 29 and the feed wheel and is pushed up under the cutting disk. Then the handle 24 is swung forward, carrying the can upwardly and causing the cutting disk to puncture the can end. Then the feed'wheel is turned by means of a suitable handle 38 and the can is rotated so as to cause the can end to be completely severed in a manner to leave no rough or ragged edge around the top of the can.

The only thing that need be noted concerning the connection of the operating handle or crank 38 for the feed wheel-is that since it must lie on the same side of the device'as the handle 24, the axle 39 of the feed wheel, which is fastened to the handle 38, must pass through an elongated hole to permit it to be swung up and down. In the arrangement shown, this hole is more or less kidney shaped, of considerable width and longer than it is wide. In order to provide a firm bearing for the feed wheel, it preferably has formed thereon a hub M of the same diameter as the width of the slot 49 and long enough to project into this slot; the handle 33, or rather, a washer 42-, lying between the handle and the adjacent face of the arm or plate 8, bearing against the end of this hub and the pin 39 serving simply to fasten the feed wheel firmly to the handle. The member I9 must of course contain a large enough hole to receive the hub and provide a suitable bearing therefor.

It is desirable that the pressure of the can against the cutting member be a yieldable one, so as to permit the handle 24 to be swung to the limit of its can lifting movement, regardless of the depth of the ridge around the top of a can. For this reason the hinge pin 9 for the device as a whole does not fit into a hole of the same size as the member I9; but, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the member I9 has a large, more or less square hole 44 through which the hinge pin passes. Furthermore, the hinge pin has an enlarged section 45 that lies within the hole 44 which has its corners rounded on about the same radius as the part 45 of the hinge pin. The arm or plate 8 is provided with a roughly semi-circular slot 46 more or less concentric with the hinge pin. Within this slot lies a bowed spring wire 41, one end of which is bent outwardly to provide a short radial finger 48 adapted to extend into a notch 49 formed at one end of the slot 46; while the other end of the spring is bent transversely of theplane of the s'pring as indicated 9.1350, and is fitted in ahole in 'the member I9 to form an anchor for that end'of the spring. The slot 46 is much wider than the diameter of the spring wire 50 that the entire wire, except the extreme end portions, at all times stands clear of the bounding edges for the slot, thereby leaving the spring free to bend and unbend, as occasion requires. The slot and. spring are covered by the web member -'I of the base for the can opener while the opening 44 in the member I9 is closed by a large washer 5| under the head of the pin 9, as shown in Fig. 1.

It will be seen that when the handle 24 is swung in the counter-clockwise direction from the position which it occupies in Fig. 2, the crank pin 22 not only moves upwardly but toward the left,.so that the movable arm I9 is given not only a swinging movement but also a lengthwise movement. This lengthwise movement is permitted by reason of the width of the hole 44 at the hinge .end of the device, since the part 45 of the hinge pin 9 in the upper forward corner of this hole, as shown in Fig. 4, when the handle is in the position shown in Fig. 2. It will be seen that the vertical dimension of the hole 44 is also substantially greater than the diameter of the pin 618+- ment 45. This permits the arm I9 to have a sec.-

ondary swinging motion about the axis of the feed wheel. In other words, after the end of the arm I9 that carries the feed wheel hasflbe'en swung up until it meets substantial resistance. or is positively stopped by reason of the upper edge of a cam rim striking the hub of the cutter, before the lug 26 associated with the handle ,24 strikes the pin 21, the inner or base end of the arm [9 can rise against the resistance of the spring 41; this spring becoming more sharply curved or bowed during this process, because the upper end is held stationary in the notch 49 while the lower end is carried upwardly, It should be noted that the spring 4! does, not interfere with the longitudinal movements of the arm I9 relatively to the other arm, because the spring simply rocks about the oint of contact with its upper end 48; it being only after the outer or forward end of the arm I9 encounters greater resistance to upward movement than that required to overcome the spring 41 that the inner or rear end of the arm I 9 has any appreciable upward movement.

It will thus be seen that we have produced a rugged can opener composed of a few simple parts,'which successfully severs the ends of cans that vary not only greatly in size and shape but also with respect to the height of the beads or ridges above the can ends; the crank operated by the lever 24 being allowed its full throw in each instance, and thus insuring that the feed wheel is always held up under the end seam or bead with a predetermined pressure, regardless of the point at which the feed wheel stops in its upward work-gripping movement; and the frusto-conical boss 29 providing a proper bearing for the periphery of the can body regardless of the size or shape of the latter.

While we have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of our invention, we do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of our invention constituting the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a can opener, two arms lying side by side, a cutting element on one end of the first arm, a feed wheel on the corresponding end of the second arm below the said cutter, means connecting said arms to move the second arm lengthwise and at the same time rock it, and means to turn said wheel.

2. In a can opener, two arms lying side by side, a cutting element on the outer end of the first arm, a feed wheel on the corresponding end of the second arm below said cutter, means connecting said arms between the ends thereof to shift the arms relatively to each other in the lengthwise direction and also in a transverse direction to move the cutting element and the feed wheel from and toward each other, and a loose connection, including a spring, between the inner ends of said arms to permit relative movements between the inner ends of the arms in said transverse direction only after the pressure on the cutting element and the feed wheel reaches a predetermined value.

3. In a can opener, two arms lying side by side, a cutter on the outer end of the first arm and a feed wheel on the outer end of the second arm below the cutter, a connection, including a spring,

between the inner ends of said arms to permit free relative rocking movements about a transverse axis at the inner ends of the arms and also relative rocking movements about an axis parallel to the aforesaid axis at the outer end upon overcoming the resistance of the spring, and means constructed to act on the said arms between their ends in a direction to produce such relative rocking movements.

4. In a can opener, two arms lying side by side, a pin connecting corresponding ends of said arms, the pin being a fit in one of said arms and passing through a hole in the second arm much larger than the diameter of the pin, the first arm having therein a wide slot lying behind and at some distance from the pin and curved about the axis of the pin, and a long curved spring wire lying on said slot and having one end anchored to the second arm and the other end fulcrumed on the first arm in one end of said slot.

5. In a can opener, two arms lying side by side, a cutter on the outer end of the first arm, a feed wheel on the outer end of the second arm, a disk rotatably fitted in the first arm, a crank pin on said disk extending through and having a bearing in the second arm, a handle for turning said disk, and a yielding hinge connection between the inner ends of said arms.

6. In a can opener, two arms lying side by side, a cutter on the outer end of the first arm, the first arm having a more or less diagonal, wide slot therethrough below the cutter, a feed wheel on the outer end of the second arm provided with a hub that extends through and has a bearing in that arm and is of sufiicient length to pass through the slot in the first arm, the diameter of the hub being about equal to the width of the said slot, a handle engaged with the free end of the hub for turning thesame, means to shift said arms relatively to each other to cause said hub to move lengthwise of said slot, and a yieldable hinge connection between the inner ends of said arms.

7. In a can opener, a stationary member, a cutter on one side of said member, a movable member on said side of the stationary member, a feed wheel on said movable member below said cutter, and a boss on said movable member beside and opposite the upper half of said wheel, said boss being a half frustum of a cone having its small end toward said wheel.

HERBERT A. BERKMAN. WILLIAM S. WEST. 

